They made a musical out of that?

[Spinal]

Every couple months or so, I hear about an unusual musical theatre project and I end up posting about it in Random Thoughts. Instead, I'm just going to put them in here.

Today's offering ...

20 Century Boy - The Musical

[youtube]-K5S-j3MVnc[/youtube]

[monolith94]

When you think about it, a lot of musical theater productions are kind of... weird. I mean, really, Cats? A broadway show about Georges Seurat? Although, I suppose that one can be kind of excused because one expects off-beat weirdness from Sondheim.

It's kind of weird that in all likelihood I'll probably never date a girl with a larger love for musicals than me. Huh.

[Mara]

Candide is a really crazy idea for a musical (or operetta, would be more correct.)

But the music is great, and the book of the version I saw was really good as well.

[Mysterious Dude]

I'm still amazed that someone saw Roger Corman's Little Shop of Horrors and thought, "This needs to be a musical!"

[Mara]

I'm still amazed that someone saw Roger Corman's Little Shop of Horrors and thought, "This needs to be a musical!"

And yet, it's so flipping awesome.

Wicked is a crazycakes idea for a musical. I read the original novel about a decade ago, and whoever read that and decided it needed singing and dancing was on crack.

That said, I understand that the musical has very little to do with the original source material.

[Spinal]

I'm also looking forward to the return of Carrie.

[Dukefrukem]

Was this thread made because of the 60 minutes piece last Sunday?

[[ETM]]

Was this thread made because of the 60 minutes piece last Sunday?

I'd like to see a "60 Minutes" musical.

[Spinal]

Any fans of Newsies?

[Mysterious Dude]

I want to make a non-musical version of Newsies. It'll be called Newsies the Non-Musical.

[Mara]

Any fans of Newsies?

To an embarrassing extent, yes.

I own the film. And the soundtrack. And the sheet music. And I used to have all these Tiger Beat magazines with Christian Bale on the cover but I think my mom threw them out.

And now I want to go to New Jersey to see the musical.

[Spinal]

Would you believe ... American Psycho?

[MadMan]

Would you believe ... American Psycho?

Haha, sure.

[lovejuice]

Any fans of Newsies?

I proudly am.

How's about Kiss of the Spider Woman?

And this thread won't be complete without the mentioning of this!

[Spinal]

How's about Kiss of the Spider Woman?

I saw that one back in '94. Chita Rivera was in it. It was quite good.

[[ETM]]

And this thread won't be complete without the mentioning of this!

I prefer the British Galadriel, actually.

[Spinal]

Bonnie and Clyde

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'm sad I wasn't able to see the run of American Idiot. I really dug some of the reworkings I saw on Youtube (six girls sing "Letterbomb"). Also, there was a brief run of shows where Davey Havok of AFI played Saint Jimmy. Hell yes.

[Fezzik]

And yet, it's so flipping awesome.

Wicked is a crazycakes idea for a musical. I read the original novel about a decade ago, and whoever read that and decided it needed singing and dancing was on crack.

That said, I understand that the musical has very little to do with the original source material.

And in my opinion, it improved on the novel greatly. I don't mind political commentary, but the novel was so bogged down in it (and Elphaba was so damn unlikeable) that I couldn't even finish it.

I've seen the musical three times (in three different cities!) and adore it. The idea is still there, but its much less angry. The sets and music are fantastic.

[Spinal]

Once

[Mara]

Once

That does not sound good.

[Raiders]

I don't get it. It was already a musical.

[Mara]

I don't get it. It was already a musical.

Well, there is a long history of musical films being backformed into stage musicals (Thoroughly Modern Millie, 42nd Street, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, etc. Not to mention the slew of Disney/animated films that have been staged.) Sometimes they are even good.

But there were certain aspects of Once that really set it apart from other musical films: the intimacy and unstudied naturalness of the leads, the grimy/beautiful setting, and the subtlety of the presentation. None of those things really translate to stage. If you take all that away, what is left? People singing and falling in love. It's every musical ever written.

[NickGlass]

They're well known (and Tony awarded) musical productions by now, but at the time that The Color Purple and Grey Gardens were announced, my head sort of spun.

These, two, however, blow my mind:

Ghost (if you can track down the trailer, please do. It's absurd)

The Silence of the Lambs
(although, granted, it IS a parody)

[Raiders]

Well, there is a long history of musical films being backformed into stage musicals (Thoroughly Modern Millie, 42nd Street, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, etc. Not to mention the slew of Disney/animated films that have been staged.) Sometimes they are even good.

But there were certain aspects of Once that really set it apart from other musical films: the intimacy and unstudied naturalness of the leads, the grimy/beautiful setting, and the subtlety of the presentation. None of those things really translate to stage. If you take all that away, what is left? People singing and falling in love. It's every musical ever written.

No... I get all that. I just mean why is Spinal surprised they made a musical out of a musical.

Maybe he was just mourning the ultimately and likely failure of its translation from screen to stage.